It's long been known that a massage can alleviate achy muscles, sore feet and soothe a stiff back, but now Taiwanese technologists have developed a contraption to massage the eyeballs.

According to its makers, an eye massager is a must-have for those who spend long periods of time on their smartphone.

They claim that the vibrating headset
can alleviate puffiness, dark circles and the stinging sensations caused
by straining your eyes when reading texts and sending emails.

There are a number of eye massagers on the market in Taiwan. The OSIM uCrown Pro (pictured) combines an eye massage with acupuncture and music to soothe the eyes, reduce fatigue and even help treat insomnia

Sales of the new health gadget have rocketed over the past year, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

'We’ve been selling eye massagers for years with steady sales, but this year there has been a noticeable jump in demand, with sales up 30 per cent (in the first half of the year from a year earlier),' said Sun Shao-qu, sales manager in Taiwan for OSIM International which manufacturers a variety of massagers.

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'We believe it is because more people have tired eyes from looking at screens all day.'

It is not clear whether the popularity
of electronic devices is really driving the sales, but the Taiwanese
obsession with technology is very real concern in the country.

The Osim uVision Pro (pictured) vibrates the eyes and massages the temples to relieve the effects of mobile phone overuse. the model also plays soothing music

This year the government enforced penalties for drivers who use smartphones while on the road.

The term 'head-down tribe' has also
become a common description for the growing number of people who walk
with their heads constantly down with their eyes glued to a screen.

There are also now bootcamps to help treat technology addiction, in particular an obsession with the internet.

In February last year, a man in New Taipei was found dead facing a computer after gaming for 23 hours.

Sales of eye massagers that claim to alleviate painful eyes have rocketed over the past year in Taiwan. Industry experts believe the popularity of smartphones, which can cause eye strain, is to behind the boom

In July 2012, an 18-year-old man died after playing 40 hours of computer
games in an internet cafe in Tainan. Both cases were reported as death
by cardiac arrest.

'We’re seeing more interest in eye massagers as more people use tablets and smartphones,' said Momo spokeswoman Gao Lee-ya.

And there is now so much competition
that many companies are selling eye massagers with added extras
including mood lights and music.

Some are even offering electronic acupuncture to treat insomnia and fatigue too.

The soft nodes inside the headset vibrate to reduce puffiness and even eliminate dark circles around the eye area, according to makers of the eye massager

It is not clear whether the popularity of electronic devices is really driving the sales, but theTaiwanese obsession with technology is very real concern in the country. This year the government enforced penalties for drivers who use smartphones while on the road

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Is staring at a screen all day giving you itchy eyes, dark circles and bags? Then join the Taiwanese EYEBALL massager craze